"Shut up! This isn't some beast-vessel. I'm not familiar with it yet, and it'll take time to get it working."
"You willingly donned the skin of a lowly beast..."
"..."
"Hm?"
At Stargazer Navalia, after concluding their tour of the Skysplitter, Yanqing led the group toward the exit.
Before they had gone far, an Artisan, a Cloud Knight, and a member of the Sky-Faring Commission appeared before them, speaking in an incomprehensible language that left the group dumbfounded.
"Something... feels off," Yanqing murmured, his eyes narrowing as he listened. He waved his hand to signal the others, and they quickly found a hiding spot to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Harr?! Who's there?!"
But before they could fully conceal themselves, their undisguised footsteps had already betrayed their presence.
A Cloud Knight whirled around, shouting a sharp reprimand.
Seeing they had been discovered, the group abandoned all pretense of hiding and emerged calmly.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Lumina asked, first reinforcing her Cognitive Shielding with several additional layers.
Even a single layer would have prevented them from recognizing her.
But to guard against unforeseen circumstances and the wolves' keen sense of smell, Lumina cautiously added multiple layers of defense.
She also took the initiative to ask questions, carefully observing their microexpressions.
Upon hearing Lumina's words, the three individuals showed only mild confusion and a hint of nervousness, but no other discernible emotions.
Clearly, they hadn't recognized her true identity.
After exchanging glances, they gave a curt reply: "Routine inspection."
With that, the Artisan briefly scanned the group and turned to his companions. "Why are unauthorized personnel present in Stargazer Navalia?" he asked.
"And such young ones at that?"
In her current guise, Lumina appeared as a fluffy white-haired ball, standing about 1.3 meters tall—the kind of irresistibly adorable creature that makes you want to scoop it up and hug it.
Clad in white and green robes, her bare feet remained spotless despite treading the slightly dusty floor, glowing translucently in the sunlight.
If these three before her weren't otherworldly beings, they would likely have been utterly captivated by the white-furred fluffball's irresistibly adorable appearance and the shimmering, translucent snow cone she held.
Though somewhat perverse, this reaction would be perfectly normal under the Cognitive Shielding's perception-altering effects.
"Hmm..." Upon hearing this remark, Yunli and Yanqing's expressions hardened, a flicker of danger flashing through their eyes before they quickly masked it. They feigned nonchalance, awaiting the next words.
After answering Lumina's question and exchanging glances, the Sky-Faring Commission member stepped forward, adopting a stern, elder-like tone:
"Little ones, didn't your parents teach you that you can't just barge into Stargazer Navalia like this?"
As the Sky-Faring Commission employee spoke, neither the Cloud Knight nor the Artisan showed any reaction, seemingly unfamiliar with Yanqing.
It was understandable that the Artisan and the Sky-Faring Commission employee didn't recognize Yanqing, but the Cloud Knight's ignorance was rather unusual.
As a Cloud Knight Lieutenant and the General's right-hand man, at least 99% of the Luofu Cloud Knights should have known Yanqing.
However, this alone wasn't enough to draw any conclusions.
"Uh... umm, sorry, I'll take my younger siblings and leave right away," March 7th said. Though usually scatterbrained, she remained relatively calm in this situation and quickly realized it was best to retreat with the others.
"Take them where? Retreat where?"
"You three aren't from the Xianzhou, are you?"
Before March 7th could make a move, Lumina crossed her arms and bluntly revealed their true identities.
After their earlier encounters, Lumina had already grown deeply annoyed with these Borisin—even dumber than March 7th. Now that she had a legitimate reason to beat them senseless, there was no way she'd let them escape.
"..."
"Adugusu(Beasts)! Die!"
Lumina's blunt exposure of their true forms stunned the trio. A dark mist erupted from their bodies, and their shapes shifted, transforming into the Borisin.
"Borisin?" Yanqing Yunli and March 7th were stunned. But before they could draw their swords, the three Borisin collapsed to the ground, writhing as if gravely wounded.
"Phew... much better."
In that single second, Lumina had unleashed tens of thousands of punches on the Borisin, venting all her pent-up frustration against them.
The instant her negative emotions cleared, Lumina felt invigorated, her spirit renewed, as if she had just... been born again.
"Borisin? Why are they here?"
"And how could they impersonate official personnel?"
Snapping out of their daze, Yanqing Yunli and March 7th stared at the defeated Borisin sprawled on the ground, completely incapacitated. Propping his chin in his hand, Yanqing Yunli fell deep into thought.
Yanqing had originally planned to feign departure and then secretly tail the Borisin. This would not only reveal their true identities but also uncover their furtive objectives.
However, since Lady Lumina had directly exposed their identities, she must have her own deeper motives.
"Just follow the path they took," Lumina advised. "There's only one road ahead. You'll find out what they're up to by simply following them."
Lumina couldn't bring herself to stealthily tail three Borisin.
Hmm... but secretly tailing three beautiful girls? Lumina wouldn't mind that so much.
All she needed was a little "pressure" to motivate herself.
Secretly tailing three beautiful girls was, after all, perfectly natural human behavior...
(Spy-...)
"Mm, you're right," Yanqing nodded, agreeing with Lumina's suggestion.
But...
Yanqing's gaze fell upon the three Borisin lying before him, completely incapacitated. A hint of difficulty crossed his face.
He couldn't just leave them here...
"I'll handle it," Lumina said with a smile, sensing Yanqing's thoughts. She extended her palm toward the three Borisin, curling her fingers.
A green glow gradually enveloped them, lifting them gently into the air like kites.
"How did you do that?" Yunli's eyes widened in surprise, curiosity quickly taking over. She turned to Lumina, her gaze filled with questions.
"Just a little trick," Lumina replied. "If you like it, Yunli, I'll teach you myself when we get back."
Lumina smiled. Even though her words were direct about her intentions, her radiant beauty and gentle demeanor made them feel comforting rather than intrusive.
"Really?!" Yunli's face lit up with delight, her expression beaming with astonishment.
"Of course," Lumina assured her. "Since it's just a simple trick, there's no need to keep it secret."
Lumina controlled the three Borisin like kites, their movements synchronized with her own.
"Alright, let's hurry and see what's ahead," she said to the group after confirming the maneuver was stable.
"Mm," Yanqing nodded, taking the lead as they resumed their advance.